159

CONOLLY OF CASTLETOWN.

 

CONOLLY, EDWARD-MICHAEL, esq. Of Castletown, in the county of Kildare,

lieutenant-colonel of Donegal militia, and M. P. for that shire. b. 24th August, 1786, m. 20th May, 1819, Catherine-Jane, daughter of Chambre-Brabazon Ponsonby-Baker, esq.* by the Lady Henrietta Taylour, his wife, daughter of Thomas, Earl of Bective, and has issue,

 

         Thomas, b. in 1823

         Chambre-Brabazon.

         Edward-Frederick.

         Arthur-Wellesley.

         John Augustus.

         Louisa-Augusta.

         Harriet.

         Mary.

         Fanny.

 

This gentleman relinquished his patronymic, Packenham, upon inheriting the estates of the Right Hon. Thomas Conolly, at the demise of Lady Louisa Conolly, his widow, in 1821, and assumed the surname and arms of Conolly.

 

 

            Colonel Conolly is magistrate in counties of Kildare, Dublin, and Donegal, and a deputy-lieutenant in Donegal and Kildare, for both which shires he has served the office of sheriff.

 

* This gentleman, who assumed the additional surname of Baker, is son of Chambre-Brabazon Ponsonby, esq. and great-grandson of William Ponsonby, first Viscount Duncannon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

160

CONOLLY, OF CASTLETOWN.

 

 

Lineage.

 

 The Packenhams, branching from an ancient Suffolk family, were established in Ireland, by

 Sir Edward Packenham, knt. Who ac- companied his cousin, Sir Henry Sidney, into that kingdom, anno 1576, when Sir Henry went to assume the government, as lord-lieutenant there. Sir Edward Pack- enham’s grandson,

 Henry Packenham, esq was seated at Packenham Hall, in the county of West- meath, in the reifgn of Charles I. having so designated the lands of Tullynally, which he had acquired by grant from the crown. He d. in 1691, and (referring to Burke’s Perrage and Barontage) we pass to his great grandson.

 Thomas Packenham, esq. Who having wedded in 1739, Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of Michael Cuffe, esq. And niece of Ambrose Aungier, second and last Earl of Longford* of that family, was created, in 1756, Baron Longford, and in 1785 his lady was raised to the rank of Countess of Longford. His lordship had, with other issue, Edward-Michael, his successor in the barony, and

 The Honorable

 Sir Thomas Packenham, an admiral of the Red Flag, and knight grand cross of the Bath, who wedded Louisa-Augusta, dau. Of the Right Hon. John Staples, and grand- daughter of the Right Hon. William Conolly, of Castletown, by whom he had issue,

    I.      Edward, who inherited the  Castle- town estates, and is the present Col. Conolly.

 II.      Thomas, of the East India Company’s service, Bengal, b. 12th October, 1787, m. in February, 1813, Isabella-Mary, eldest daughter of Lieutenant-general Fredrick-Augustus Wetherell, by whom (who d. 10th November, 1827) he has a son, George.

III.      William, b. 3rd February, 1789.

IV.      John, captain R.N. b. 18th October, 1790, m. in August, 1817, Caroline-Emily, third daughter of the late Sir Home Popham, and has issue,    

1.      Thomas-Conolly.

2.      Catherine.

3.      Elizabeth.

4.      Louisa-Barbara                         

 

 

 V.      Richard, b. 19th May, 1797, a diplomatist.

VI.      Robert, in holy orders, b. 4th June, 1799, m. 30th June, 1829, Harriet-Maria, youngest daughter of the late

*This Earldom of Longford expired in 1704.

 

 

Right Hon. Denis Brown, and has Issue

        VII.    Henry, b. 17th June, 1805, lieut royal navy.

      VIII.    Authur, b. 23rd December, 1810.

           IX.    Louisa-Anne, m. 1st September, 1814, to William Dutton Pollard, esq. of Castle Pollard, in the county of Westmeath.

             X.    Elizabeth.

           XI.    Henrietta, m. 10th April, 1826, to the Rev. John Hare.

        XII.    Catherine, died 11th May, 1821, unmarried.

      XIII.    Sarah, m. 1st March, 1831, to Samuel Law, esq.

     XIV.    Helen.

        XV.    Emily, d. 8th July, 1821, unm.

 

The Right Hon.

  William Conolly, speaker of the house of commons in Ireland, in the reign of Queen Anne, first lord of the treasury until his decease, temp. George II. and ten times sworn one of the lords justices of the kingdom, espoused the Hon. Catherine Conyngham, sister of Henry, first Earl Conyngham, by whom he acquired large estates in Ulster. Dying s. p. he was s. by his nephew,

The Right Hon.

  William Conolly, who espoused the Lady Anne Wentworth, eldest dau. Of Thomas, Earl of Strafford, K.G. ambassador to the court of Utrecht, son of Wm. Wentworth, of Ashby Puerorum, in Lincolnshire, and grand nephew of Thomas Wentworth, the ill-fated Earl of Strafford. By this lady Mr. Conolly had one son and four daughters, viz.

                                    I.      Thomas, his heir.

                                  II.      Anne, m. to George Byng, esq. M.P. for Middlesex (see vol. I. p. 14).

                               III.      Harriet, who m. the Right Hon. John Staples, M.P. and was mother of

Louisa-Augusta Staples, who wedded, as already stated, Admiral, the Honorable Sir Thomas Packenham, G.C.B. and had, with other issue, a son and heir, Edward-Michael Packenham, successor to his granduncle, Right Hon. Thomas Conolly.

                               IV.      Frances, m. to William, Viscount Howe, K.B. and d.s.p.

                                 V.      Caroline, m. to John, Earl of Buckinghamshire, then lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and was mother of Emily, Marchioness of Londonderry.

 

 

 

161

 

 

 

Mr. Conolly’s son and heir,

  The Right Hon. Thomas Conolly, a member, like his father, of the privy council, in Ireland, was one of the deputation appointed by parliament of that kingdom to offer the regency to the Prince of Wales, on the first indisposition of George III. This gentleman wedded Lady Louisa-Augusta Lenox, daughter of Charles, third Duke of Richmond, but died without issue, when a life interest in his estates vested in his widow, at whose decease they passed to the grandson of his sister, Harriet, wife of the Right Honorable John Staples, his grand-nephew, Edward-Michael Packenham, esq. who assumed, as already stated, the surname and arms of Conolly only.

  Arms---Arg. On a saltier sa. Five escallops of the field.

  Crest---A cubit arm erect, vested gu. Cuff arg.  Holding in the hand an annulet arg.

  Motto---En Dieu est tout.

  Estates—The manors of Castletown and Lexlip, in Kildare, of Rathfarnham, in Dublin, of Ballyshannon and Parkhill, in Donegal, besides estates in Roscommon, and the King’s County, all purchased by his Excellency the Right Hon. William Conolly, speaker of the house of commons, and lord justice of Ireland.

Town Residence---20, Grosvenor Square.

Seats—Castletown, Cellbridge, and Cliff, Ballyshannon, Ireland.